Two illegal immigrants have been found employed at a restaurant in Haverfordwest during an ongoing crackdown on illegal working across Wales.
Officers from the UK Border Agency found two Bangladeshi men aged 25 and 39, working at Haverfordwest Tandoori, Snowdrop Lane, after carrying out an intelligence-led visit on Wednesday.
After checks were made on their immigration status, the pair were found to have entered the UK illegally.
The men were dealt with at the scene and placed on immigration bail. They must now report regularly to the UK Border Agency while steps are taken to remove them from the country.
Haverfordwest Tandoori was served with a Notice of Potential Liability for employing illegal workers.
If the employer is unable to provide evidence that legally-required checks were carried out before giving the workers jobs – such as asking for a passport or another Home Office document – he will face a fine of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker.
Jane Farleigh, Regional Director of the UK Border Agency in Wales and South West, said: “These raids are part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working to reduce the attractiveness of the UK to illegal immigrants.
“Anyone who takes on a foreign national without permission to work in the UK is breaking the law, undermining law-abiding businesses and faces a big fine.
“This year alone, we’ve issued fines worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to dozens of businesses across Wales.
“There are strict rules about which foreign nationals can get a job in the UK and businesses have a clear responsibility to carry out the right checks.”
The raid coincides with a large-scale UK Border Agency advertising campaign warning bosses of the heavy fines if caught employing illegal workers.
The Government is currently making a series of reforms to the UK’s immigration system.
ID Cards for foreign nationals are being introduced which will help protect against identity fraud and illegal working.
The Australian-style points based system for managing migration is ensuring only those with the skills the UK needs are allowed to work.
A tough new civil penalty system was brought in last year to provide a fast and effective way of tackling employers who fail to carry out proper checks on workers from outside Europe.
A fine of up to £10,000 per worker can be imposed for every illegal worker found at a business.
Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in Pembrokeshire can contact the UK Border Agency on 029 2092 4727.
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